A Thoughtful (R)Evolution

One of the most difficult challenges of climate change activism, and probably the most important to overcome, is just getting people to believe that climate change is real. But don’t worry, this isn’t an attempt to convince you that climate change is, in fact, real (which it is). Rather, it’s a discussion of how our state of mind itself is an obstacle to getting people to accept the truth of climate change. And it’s an obstacle that must be overcome.

If we are to survive our climate crisis, we need to revise our ways of thinking. And fast. Change is hard. It’s often said that change can happen if you want it. But this axiom is not quite the truth. The truth is that change happens whether you want it or not. People instinctively resist change and will often go to great lengths to avoid it. But change is an unavoidable part of the human condition. Our bodies change. Our circumstances change. Our careers, relationships, and even our health change. And so can our minds. The key is being aware of, and open to the inevitability of change. Only then will you accept, and maybe come to embrace, change. 

Here are some ways that we can learn to reconcile and possibly welcome changes, even if we don’t necessarily like them. 

First Assume Generously

My personal belief is that suspicion and cynicism are safe spaces for the lazy. I came to this conclusion via some deep soul-searching and self-reflection. More and more, I started noticing that some of my most commonly held beliefs were seemingly rooted in suspicion and cynicism. And I found that I had this in common with many, many people. And, if everybody is doing it, then it must be easy. But doing the easy thing isn’t always doing the right thing. When you short-circuit your knee-jerk suspicion with the idea that whatever information presented to you is coming from a place of pure intentions, you can subvert and possibly eliminate your natural inclination to cynicism. Keep in mind, though, that skepticism and suspicion are not the same thing. Skepticism is a healthy desire to find the truth behind claims. It is a mindset based on the assumption that when we are presented with plausibly true information which then passes subsequent rigors of verification, we will accept it. Suspicion speaks only to the motivation of the person who is delivering the information, which makes it easier to disregard said information. Such suspicion is the root of bad faith, which is the opposite of assuming generously.

Learn that Changing Your Mind Isn’t a Sign of Weakness, But a Sign of Strength

At one time or another, we’ve all seen politicians criticized for being against something before they were for it, or vice versa. The label “flip-flopper” is a political career killer. This speaks more to the dogmatic thinking politicians seem to think citizens require of them than it does to the actual strength of their character. True strength of character is acknowledging when you are wrong. People seem to fear the social costs of changing their viewpoints. It’s as if they will have sacrificed years of hard-earned relationships simply by changing their mind. But the first step to embracing change is to normalize it. If you are courageous enough to admit that you are willing to change your mind, you may just be the first domino in your social group to fall. Others may follow. Consider: there is no real reward for being the most stubborn, just as there is no actual punishment for being the most open-minded.

Know that Traditional Thinking Isn’t Always Correct, and It Isn’t Always Conscious

The commonly held belief that “any dollar you didn’t save is a dollar you wasted,” is a social construct; it’s received wisdom that is not an objective truth. Likewise, the instinct to get the best deal or to make sure you aren’t ripped off in any transaction is a learned value. Many of our learned values are so deeply ingrained that we are usually completely unaware that they exist. Learned values have their uses, but they can also be damaging if not reexamined periodically. However, once you become aware of your learned values, they can be unlearned and replaced with updated values. Further, these updated values can be those that you have chosen mindfully, as opposed to arbitrary social values that have been foisted upon you without your awareness or permission. This conscious awareness of values is the essence of the kind of perspective shift needed for meaningful action that is so necessary to combat climate change. 

The great thing about coming around to the reality of climate change is that there is no barrier to it other than those that are self-imposed. You can be an oil worker who is concerned about the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. You can be a cattle rancher who seeks new technologies to mitigate methane emissions. Adapting your beliefs to reality is a form of self-preservation that we must work to de-stigmatize. But the first person that you must forgive for their resistance to change is the one you look at every day in the mirror. Only when you let go of the self-judgment and guilt that is unfairly associated with an evolution of thought, can you truly begin the process of self-reconciliation that we all require to whether such changes. Change is hard. Change is good. And change is coming. Whether the changes will be for good or for ill, well, that’s up to you.